The EPA estimates that your home's indoor air quality may be among the worst you encounter. Considering how much time you spend indoors, taking steps to learn what sorts of pollutants are in your home helps you lower the contaminant load. You can test some components of your air using test kits, available locally or through online resources. The following steps can help you identify problems with your indoor air:
- Measure the amount of radon gas indoors. Radon is almost as dangerous as smoking in causing lung cancer. While the reported levels of radon in Tulsa County are low, exceptions exist. You can hire an indoor air specialist or obtain a testing kit from an online service. The only way to know if radon is a problem is to test it, since the gas is odorless and invisible.
- If you use combustible fuels in your home or have an attached garage, a carbon monoxide (CO) detector will alert you when the levels become dangerous. If you want to monitor the CO levels continuously, choose a hard-wired detector that has a readout that gives periodic updates throughout the day. Like radon, CO is odorless and invisible. Using a detector that tells you what the levels are helps you know when your gas appliances need service.
- Mold can be a problem, both for your health and your home's interior integrity. Test kits are available that sense mold, mildew, fungus and yeast levels.
- If you have recently remodeled or are living in a new home, your indoor air quality could be poor. Paint, flooring, new furniture, dry cleaned clothing and even shower curtains and children's toys can bring in formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that harm your health. Before purchasing products like these, check the labels to be sure that they are low in VOCs. If they are not, introduce the products only when you can open your windows.
If you're suffering from respiratory distress in your home, contact Air Assurance in Broken Arrow. We are authorized to test your indoor air quality and we'll help you find a solution.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about indoor air quality and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our current promotions and get started today!